red cabbage steaks with ginger lemon miso

there’s a serious nip in the air this evening, the kind that instantly makes me shove my hands into their respective pockets. the only thing we can count on with our weather here is nothing – and several times a year i’m reminded of this reality. what we might boast as a native summer, bleeding sweetly into and combining itself with the autumn air, is quickly turned into the verge of snow and our breaths deep and wide spiraling visibly out of our mouths. and to say i dislike this reality isn’t entirely true. there’s a part of me that hungers and yearns for the brutality of weather. the juxtaposition of the sub-zero temperatures against a candle-lit, fire-licked interior is a medicine for all that tires and ails us.

there’s a guileless draw into the colder weather – something sheer, something vast, something unforgiving and a season where we truly render our own selves. a perfect storm of frozen precipitation and belligerent winds. and briefly i wonder what i yearn for – but so easily i recall. i recall the ease of being able to collect myself, gather my thoughts, and ignite the coming year. the fellowship of life and growth – a continual muse. we stand defined at year’s end. and though the cold has only begun, soon it will roar and we will cradle the muse.

we did a lot of uprooting in the garden this week – the arriving frost in full will surely be the finality of many. we kissed the tomatoes a farewell, as well as the tomatillos, squash, eggplant, and peppers. the final fruits caused a pleasant buzz in the kitchen, though – some of the results to be shared in a few days. tides continually turn in the garden, the utmost source of inspiration. while we bid our summer friends goodbye, we welcome the grace of bok choy, chinese cabbage, and other asian greens. we kneel before the many varieties of kale and listen to their welcome chorus of the cold. we nod to the brussels sprouts and keep them comfortable. and in turn we are granted the gift of gratefulness. we caress the garden and the garden is the greatest caress. i find this the most significant perspective .

briefly: i am sharing with you a splendid red cabbage recipe. it’s simple, comforting, and really damn delicious. red cabbage has always enticed me. cutting the cabbage into slabs and roasting it in the oven yields the most favorable results. included is a ginger lemon miso sauce to coat the cabbage in, and mustard fried shallots to top it. if the temperatures are dropping where you are, do try this. if you’re still hot – send me a postcard, i want to live vicariously through you. or perhaps next time we speak i will have succumbed completely to the cold. happy week, happy days, sweet hours, and loving minutes.

susannah you are so very sweet, thank you for the kindest words! i have always adored red cabbage, whether it be raw or cooked – its flavor has always just amazed me, and many things can be done with it. to be able to pair it with these flavors and just be fantastic is so great – i do hope you get to try it! happy week to you! ♥

Such a unique and gorgeous way to cook red cabbage! That dressing sounds packed with flavour, and I love the slightly Asian twist with tamari and miso. So beautiful, and I enjoyed reading about the change of season you are experiencing – so so different to how we experience it here in the Southern hemisphere (not just in that we are currently transitioning into summer, but even our autumn and winter is less harsh and biting). <3

Claudia thank you dearly for the lovely words, I truly enjoy your visits. It’s really interesting to hear about how the seasons change in other parts of the world – the weather has always deeply fascinated me. Where I currently live has way harsher winters than other parts of the country (which always makes me question how I said OK to temporarily settling here). xo

There’s something so appealing about that deep purple cabbage and it sounds just so wonderful with that sauce! I love how the changing foods throughout the year can help us to be so much more aware of the seasons.

Thank you Emily, and I agree with your sentiments completely. It’s such a positive thing to focus on what currently surrounds us over what we’re able to obtain due to conveniences (although nice at times). It shifts the food perspective greatly and produces such creative results. Thank you for visiting I love your voice. ♥

That color is just so stunning, Danielle. I, too, crave the juxtaposition that the seasons seem to provide us. And what’s great is that food is always at the center! I feel like I want to use that miso sauce on this cabbage and everything else! xo.

I love this sentiment Tessa – food truly is at the center of seasonal change and inspiration is always at a lovely wealth. And thank you so sweetly, the miso sauce really is the absolute bomb -I actually do recommend it on everything. ♥